The present invention relates to a card connector for connecting an integrated circuit card, such as a memory, PC, or multimedia card, to another electronic device, and, in particular, a card connector provided with an eject device in which the card is inserted into the connector to a final position and ejected from the final position by a double push operation.
Multimedia cards (MMC) are miniaturized cards of several centimeter square and are used in various media-related memory applications. MMC connectors are used in various types of electronic equipment to receive and connect such multimedia cards. In order to contribute to the miniaturization and reduction in weight of the electronic equipment in which the MMC connector is mounted (for example, a mobile computer, a digital camera, a portable digital video camera or the like) there is a corresponding demand that the card connector itself be further miniaturized and thinned.
Known card connectors are disclosed in Japanese Utility Application Laid-Open No Hei 1-75983, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Hei 150387 and the like. In the card connectors described in these publications, a connector is provided with an eject device in the form of a slider movably held within a connector body. The connectors are designed such that a card is inserted into the connector and an end of the card abuts an engagement portion of the slider and the slider moves together with the card.
In order to make it possible to perform a double push or xe2x80x9cpush-pushxe2x80x9d operation to eject the card from the connector, a cam mechanism is used in conjunction with the slider. This cam mechanism includes a cam portion and a pin member that moves within the cam portion and is typically positioned on a lower surface of the slider and a surface of the connector body adjacent and facing the lower surface. In such a card connector, since the cam member and the pin member are positioned in a thickness or vertical direction within the connector body, it is difficult to make the card connector thinner in the vertical direction.
A card connector that addresses this point is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-135192. The card connector disclosed in this publication is provided with a cam mechanism having a cam portion and pin member wherein the cam portion and pin member are arranged on a side of the slider and confronting side wall of the connector body respectively so that the card connector can be made vertically thinner. However, in this card connector, in order to thin the system vertically, the cam mechanism is located on a side of the connector body and the connector body therefore projects laterally, occupying additional space on the underlying substrate. As a result, it is difficult to miniaturize the connector as a whole, as space must be occupied by the connector either in a vertical or horizontal manner due to the structure of the cam mechanism.
Also, in such a compact card connector, since the cam mechanism is miniaturized, the slider is arranged on one side of the connector body and pushed by a comer of the card. The slider is therefore not pushed symmetrically in the slide direction and may become biased. For this reason, the movement of the slider may not be smooth as the connector becomes more miniaturized.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a card connector that can effectively be miniaturized and thinned, in both a vertical and horizontal direction.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a card connector that keeps the movement of the slider continuous and smooth and therefore enhances the operation ability thereof.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a card connector is provided having a connector body comprising a housing with a receiving slot for receiving a card and a metal shell for covering the housing. The connector includes an eject device comprising a slider which is pushed in during insertion of the card and slides between a forward position or loading position of the card and a back position or insertion position of the card, a spring for biasing the slider to its back position and a cam mechanism for limiting the sliding operation of the slider. The cam mechanism is provided on a side surface of the slider and comprises a first guide groove defining the forward position of the slider, a second guide groove defining the back position of the slider, and a pin member for movement within the guide grooves which defines the slider""s position. The slider is received in a recess along a side of the housing and is covered by the metal shell. A spring portion for biasing the pin member is formed from a side surface of the metal shell. This not only avoids the need for a discrete spring member but also contributes to the overall thin and compact size of the connector.
The slider arrangement within the recess portion along the side of the housing allows the eject device of the connector to remain within the lateral dimensions of the connector, i.e. preventing the eject device from projecting laterally of the connector body. Therefore, it is possible to make the connector body relatively small and in a rectangular shape that substantially corresponds to the shape of the card. Therefore, in addition to allowing the connector to be relatively thinner, the overall connector is miniaturized, thereby reducing the occupation area of the connector on its underlying substrate.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.